Explosive valve device



Dec. 27, 1960 N. E. NYLIN EXPLOSIVE VALVE DEVICE Filed Aug. 16, 1956 INVENTOR.

NELS E NYL/N ZM M ATTORN United States Patent EXPLOSIVE VALVE DEVICE Nels E. 'Nylin, Folsom, Ca]if., assignor to Aerojet-General Corporation, Azusa, Calif., a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 604,436

11 Claims. (Cl. 137-68) The present invention relates in general to valves, and to quick opening valves actuated by a squib or explosive device in particular.

More particularly, the valve of this invention is intended for introducing liquid or gaseous fluids at a predetermined instant into vessels which are maintained at low internal pressures or at relative vacuum.

Heretofore, applications utilizing an explosive means of valve activation have been troubled by problems of high internal temperature generation, destruction of fluidexplosive means separating seals, and resultant contamination of the fluid regulated by said valve. The heat released by the rapidly burning and expanding gases of the powder charge may bring the sealing means dangerously near to or above its melting point. If the seal is thus disturbed, the gases and other by-products of combustion may commingle with the fluid, and the resultant contamination may produce various undesired results.

An object of this invention is to provide a self-cooling, fluid-regulating valve containing means of internally dissipating the heat generated by its explosive pressureactuating means.

Another object is the provision of a valve containing integral means preventing contamination of fluid by byproducts of explosive gases activating said valve to permit fluid flow.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a valve, which when closed, will provide an hermetic seal to the flow of fluids, but which will offer a minimum resistance to the flow of fluid when open.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve which will be operable to permit fluid flow, including explosive pressure-actuated means which function to open sari valve at a predetermined time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve having a diaphragm sealing the passage through the valve in unoperated position and explosive means operating a member puncturing said diaphragm, said member being arranged to be cooled by the flow of fluid through the opened valve.

Yet another object is to provide an improved valve 0]? the kind described which is of minimum weight and which is simple in construction and rapid and positive in operation.

With the enumerated and other objects in view, the invention comprises a valve body having fluid inlet and outlet ports separated by a shear diaphragm aifording a positive seal against flow through the valve in unoperated condition, explosive means responsive to remote activation and means operated by said explosive means for shearing said diaphragm, said latter means being formed to be cooled by the flow of fluid through the valve when opened.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a fluid valve incorporating the present invention, prior to its being opened by explosive means included in the valve structure;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the valve of Fig. 1 after detonation of said explosive means serving to open the valve; and

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a valve body or housing 10 having an inlet port 11, and circumferentially spaced outlet ports 12, is divided internally by a partition consisting of a shear diaphragm 13, preventing access of fluid from the inlet port 11 to the outlet ports 12. A longitudinal bore 14 within the valve body 10 is threaded at one end to receive a squib assembly 15, and at the opposite end to receive a closure plug 16.

The squib assembly 15 contains a powder charge 17, which is packed within a tubular liner 18 which also acts as a spacer disposed within the bore 14. The electrical connections thereto are in the form of a hot wire 19, while the return or ground wire 20 is attached to the squib assembly in the usual manner. The electrical leads, 19 and 26, may be connected to an external firing circuit whereby detonation of the powder charge 17 can be effected from a remote point when certain external operating conditions are met .or a predetermined time is reached.

A punch 21, guided in its travel at both ends by the valve body 10, bears directly at its forward end against the shear diaphragm 13 and at its opposite end bears against tubular liner and spacer 18. The punch 21 is thus restrained axially in position in the unfired condition of the charge. Toward the end of the punch 21 abutting the spacer a peripheral groove 22 is provided, in which an O-ring or other suitable packing gland 23 is positioned to provide a seal preventing leakage of gases from the burning charge past the punch body. Toward the end of the punch abutting against the shear diaphragm 13, a wide peripheral groove 24 is machined which constitutes part of the flow channel for the fluid controlled by the valve when the powder charge 17 is fired, as will be hereinafter explained.

The diaphragm 13 is held clamped against an inwardly projecting flange 25 of the valve body 10 which also positions the cutting end of the punch in inoperative position by the closure plug 16. The end of the plug 16 facing the diaphragm is cut out at 27 to enable the sheared ofi portion of the diaphragm and the end of the punch to enter the cut-out 27 out of the way of the inlet port, the punch 21 being brought to the position shown in Fig. 2 after the squib has been fired. The wall of the plug 16 surrounding the cut-out 27 is drilled to provide metering holes 28, and the outer diameter of the wall of the plug 16 at the location of the holes 28 is reduced to provide a peripheral space 29 with which the inlet port 11 communicates.

A gasket 30 is positioned between head 31 of plug 16 and the end of body 15 closure assembly 16 being drawn up tight to prevent leakage of chlorine or other fluid to the atmosphere via this egress. Similarly, a gasket 32 is positioned between head 34 of the squib assembly 15 and the end of valve body 10.

Referring now to Fig. 2, for an explanation of the functioning of the valve of this invention, upon application of the appropriate voltage across the hot wire 19 and the ground wire 20, the powder charge 17 burns rapidly, producing a gas pressure sufiic-ient to drive the punch 21 against the diaphragm 13 with a force sufficient to shear out the center of the diaphragm and move the sheared out portion against the inner wall of cut-out 27, thus enabling fluid to flow from the inlet port 11 through space 29, metering holes 28, and into the space 24 which now underlies the metering holes, and finally through the ports 12.

The body of the punch 21 will be heated by the burning powder of the squib but simultaneously cooled by the expansion of the fluid flowing through the metering orifices into the much larger volume of the space 24 which is also under the low pressure of the vessel to which the valve is mounted.

The temperature of the fluid drops very rapidly due to the sudden expansion, in some cases as low as 80 F., thereby keeping the temperature of the O-ring or other suitable packing gland 23 well below its melting point, preventing contaminationof the fluid by the by-products of combustion of the powder.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically described in the foregoing specification, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the described embodiment has been given by way of illustration only and is not limitative of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valve structure comprising: a valve body having a passage for the flow of fluid therethrough; an inlet and a plurality of outlet ports arranged within said valve body and communicating with said passage; a shearable diaphragm positioned in said passage to seal it against flow of fluid from said inlet to said plurality of outlet ports until sheared; and an explosive device mounted in said body on a member secured to one end of the valve body; a tubular liner and spacer arranged within said body and containing the explosive charge; a punch mounted in the valve body, one end of said punch abutting said liner and spacer and the cutting face of the punch abutting said shearable diaphragm, the periphery of said punch adjacent its cutting end being provided with a groove, which when the punch is operated by the explosive device, provides a channel in communication with the inlet and outlet ports in the valve body, and sealing means positioned in a peripheral groove around the periphery of the punch toward the end opposite its cutting end, the groove around the cutting end of the punch being sufliciently larger in cross sectional area than that of the inlet port to reduce the temperature by expansion of the fluid flowing through the groove and prevent the temperature of the punch from being raised by the burning gases of the explosive device sufliciently to destroy said sealing means.

2. A valve structure comprising: a valve body having a passage for the flow of fluid therethrough; an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports arranged within said body and communicating with said passage; a shearable diaphragm positioned in said passage to prevent flow of fluid from said inlet port to said plurality of outlet ports until said diaphragm is sheared; a punch mounted in said valve body, said punch being formed to provide a channel of larger cross-sectional area than that of said inlet port for flow of fluid from said inlet port to said plurality of outlet ports; metering orifice means for regulating the volumetric flow of fluid through said channel, said orifice means being arranged between said inlet port and said passage within said body; seal means mounted on said punch; and an explosive device mounted in said body which is, effective when operated to force said punch against said diaphragm and shear it to open communication between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports.

3.. A valve structure comprising: a valve body having a passage for the flow of fluid therethrough; an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports arranged withinsaid body, said inlet port being displaced axially along said passage from said plurality of outlet ports; a shearable diaphragm of fluid from said inlet port to said plurality of outlet ports; metering orifice means for regulating the volumetric flow of fluid through said channel, said orifice means being arranged between said inlet port and said passage Within said body; seal means mounted on said punch; and an explosive device mounted in said body which is eflective when operated to force said punch against said diaphragm and shear it to open communication between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports.

4. A valve structure as set forth in claim 3, and in addition, a peripheral shoulder in said passage formed between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports; said metering orifice means serving to hold said diaphragm against said shoulder.

5. A valve structure as set forth in claim 3, and in addition, a peripheral shoulder in said passage formed between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports; said metering orifice means comprising a threaded clamping plug having a plurality of metering holes therein, said plug being screwed into a threaded portion of the wall of said passage with the inner face of said plug clamping said shearable diaphragm around its margin against said shoulder, the inner surface of said plug being recessed inwardly of its marginal portion to a depth suflicient to receive the sheared out portion of said diaphnagm and the cutting end of said punch.

6. A valve structure as set forth in claim 3 and in addition, a peripheral shoulder in said valve body passage 7 formed between said inlet and said plurality of outlet ports; said metering orifice means comprising a threaded clamping plug having a plurality of metering holes therein, said plug being screwed into a threaded portion of the wall of said valve body passage with its inner face clamping said shearable diaphragm around its margin against said shoulder, the inner surface of said plug being recessed inwardly of its marginal portion to a depth sutficient to receive the sheared out portion of the diaphragm and the cutting end of the punch, the wall surrounding said recess in the inner face of the clamping plug extending across the fluid inlet port a space between said wall of said valve body passage and the wall of the recess in the plug being provided in communication with said inlet port.

7. A valve structure comprising: a valve body having a passage for the flow of fluid therethrough; an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports arranged within said body and communicating with said passage; a shearable diaphragm positioned in said passage to prevent flow of fluid from said inlet port to said plurality of outlet ports unit said diaphragm is sheared; an explosive device mounted in said body on a member secured to one end of the valve body; a tubular liner and spacer arranged within said device and containing an explosive charge; a punch mounted in the valve body, one end of said punch abutting said linear and spacer and the cutting face of the punch abutting said shearable diaphragm, the periphery of said punch adjacent its cutting end being provided with a first groovelwhich when the punch is operated by the explosive device, provides a channel in communication with'said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports in the valve body which is of larger cross section than the cross section of the inlet port and effecting cooling of the punch by expansion of the fluid in said channel; and seal means mounted onsaid punch at the end abutting said liner and spacer.

8. A valve structure. as described in claim 7 and in addition, metering orifice means for. regulating the volumetric flow of fluid through said channel, said orifice means being arranged between said inlet port and said passage within said valve body.

9. A valve operable to permit fluid flow comprising: a valvebody; an inlet port and a plurality of outlet ports arranged within said body; means arranged within said body for regulating the volumetric fluid flow between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports; explosive means responsive to remote activation; means for shearing said diaphragm which are made operative by said explosive means; means for cooling said shearing means; and means mounted on said shearing means for sealing gases of combustion generated by said explosive means from the fluid flow between said inlet port and said plurality of outlet ports; said explosive, shearing, cooling and sealing means all being arranged within said valve body.

10. A valve operable to permit fluid flow comprising, in combination: a valve body having a flow channel; means arranged within said body for completely obstructing said flow channel; means for generating a pressurized fluid; pressure actuated means arranged within said body for removing said obstruction, said pressure-actuated means being in communication with said generating means; means arranged within said body for regulating the volumetric fluid flow through said channel when said obstruction is removed; means arranged within said body for cooling said obstruction-removing means; and seal means arranged with said body to keep separated said pressurized actuating fluid and said volumetric fluid flow through said channel.

11. A valve as described in claim 10 wherein said pressurized fluid generation means comprises an electrically fired squib assembly arranged within said valve body, said pressure-actuated obstruction removing means comprises a punch, and said seal means comprises an O ring seal mounted on said punch, whereby the firing of said squib assembly propels said punch into a puncturing relationship with said channel obstruction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,291 Rea July 21, 1896 1,324,385 Clark Dec. 9, 1919 2,008,961 Lessard July 23, 1935 2,209,296 Jewell et al. July 23, 1940 2,405,439 Lubbock Aug. 6, 1946 2,441,894 Mennecier May 18, 1948 2,515,068 Young July 11, 1950 2,557,448 Mathisen June 19, 1951 2,717,042 Grant et al Sept. 6, 1955 2,777,455 Daudelin Jan. 15, 1957 2,815,882 Connell Dec. 10, 1957 

